Published: June 18, 2007 10:38 pm         

61-year-old leads police on pursuit

Officer says troopers saw N.C. woman ‘laughing’ during chase

A 61-year-old North Carolina woman was arrested Monday morning after the vehicle she was driving crashed into a State Police cruiser, ending a high-speed pursuit that spanned 41 miles of the West Virginia Turnpike between Charleston and Beckley.

According to West Virginia State Police Sgt. D.A. Gunnoe, the incident began about 7:15 a.m. when police attempted to stop Patricia Taylor, of Gastonia, N.C., for speeding near mile marker 89 on the southern end of Kanawha County.

Taylor, however, had other plans and fled the scene, reaching, Gunnoe said, speeds of up to 120 miles per hour.

Gunnoe said speed sticks, or spikes, placed at mile marker 74 flattened both tires on the passenger side of Taylor’s Acura but she charged forward on the two remaining tires.

Police placed speed sticks again at mile markers 66 and 59, the latter of which blew out the front driver’s side tire, but still Taylor did not stop and a fourth attempt with speed sticks at the toll booth at Pax did not damage Taylor’s remaining tire.

Gunnoe said traffic in the southbound lanes was light during the majority of the pursuit, but as Taylor neared Beckley, police, out of concern about a heavier traffic flow, attempted a rolling road block, with police cars surrounding all sides of Taylor’s vehicle slowing down and eventually stopping in hope that Taylor would do the same.

Taylor, however, had different plans yet again as Gunnoe said she plowed through the stop, nearly striking the cruisers as she attempted to drive through the median.

Finally, near the North Beckley exit, Gunnoe said a police cruiser stopped in Taylor’s path, causing her to strike the vehicle, bringing hers to a halt.

Gunnoe said police do not know why Taylor led police on the pursuit, as neither Taylor nor her 65-year-old sister who was a passenger in the car was intoxicated and a search of the vehicle uncovered no contraband.

During the rolling road block, however, Gunnoe said a couple of troopers saw Taylor “laughing, almost like it was a game.”

Taylor, who was charged with fleeing with property damage, speeding, reckless driving, driving into the median and improper lane changed, was arraigned in Raleigh County Magistrate Court and released on a $10,000 bond.

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